What Are the “Times of the Gentiles” and…
The “Abomination of Desolation”?
When will the “TIMES OF THE GENTILES” end—and Christ’s
1000-YEAR RULE on this earth begin?
by Raymond F. McNair
What did Jesus Christ mean when He foretold the coming of an appalling “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION” (Matt. 24:15)? According to Bible prophecy, will this “abomination” be set up before His Second Coming?
Does the Bible reveal that a Temple of God will be built on the ancient Temple Mount in Jerusalem before Christ returns as the Supreme “King over all the earth,” to establish His Kingdom over all nations (Zech. 14:1-9: Isa. 2; 9; 11; Micah 4)?
Could Christ Return at “Any Moment”?
Many ministers—evangelical clergymen in particular—have long believed and preached that Christ’s Second Coming could occur at any moment! This erroneous idea has been used to get sinners to “hit the sawdust trail,” and to “give their hearts to the Lord,” before it was too late! Others claim that Jesus never promised to “come again,” personally and visibly, to this earth to establish His Kingdom. These skeptics ask, “Where is the promise of His Coming?” (2 Pet. 2:3-4).
Does God’s Word teach that Christ could return to this earth “at any moment”? Or, does the Bible reveal that certain definite, unmistakable, long-prophesied events must occur before His Second Coming? If so, what are some of those events which must take place before His Coming?
Which events, as mentioned in Matthew 24:4-30, did Jesus Christ say must occur before His Return? He said these eleven things must first occur:
1) Many false ministers and deceivers must first appear.
2) There will be wars and rumors of wars.
3) Famines….
4) Pestilence….
5) Earthquakes….
6) Persecution of God’s people….
7) The true Gospel will be proclaimed to all nations.
8) A frightening “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION” will be established in Jerusalem.
9) Next, a “GREAT TRIBULATION” will afflict countless millions.
10) After that “tribulation,” fearful sights will occur in the heavens—the sun and moon will be darkened, and millions of stars will fall to the earth.
11) Finally, there will “appear the SIGN of the Son of Man in heaven…and they shall SEE the Son of Man COMING in the clouds…with power and Great glory” (v. 30).
These same cataclysmic events—listed in Revelation 6 through 15—tell us that Christ will make His dramatic appearance at the sounding of the 7th trumpet, also called the “last trump” (1 Thes. 4:13-18 and 1 Cor.15:45-57). “And the seventh trump sounded [and ‘great voices’ said], ‘The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ…’” (Rev. 11:15).
Remember, all of the foregoing prophesied events must occur before the actual “Coming” of the Son of Man. We can, therefore, absolutely know that a number of important events must transpire before Jesus Christ makes His dramatic appearance at His awe-inspiring Second Coming! How can anyone ignore, deny or disbelieve these pivotal prophecies which Jesus said must occur before His Return in great power and glory (Matt. 24:30:31; 2 Thes. 1:6-10)?
Three “Abominations of Desolation”?
One of the major events (“signs”) that Christ prophesied would precede His Second Coming will be an appalling “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION.”
But, what is this mysterious “abomination of desolation”? When will it take place? How will it come about? Who will instigate this “abomination”? Will this horrendous desecration be instigated by wicked men, or by the very evil Devil—or by both? And, more importantly, where, precisely, will that appalling “abomination” take place? Christ and Daniel predicted three horrendous “abominations” which would bring about appalling “desolations” on earth. Is the final end-time “abomination” prophesied to occur in a newly built Temple of God in Jerusalem?
Recent sermons and writings of various ministers in the “Churches of God” reveal several different views concerning the true meaning of the “abomination of desolation,” mentioned in the book of Daniel, and prophesied by Jesus Christ! Furthermore, many Bible commentaries and dictionaries also give several different views as to the correct understanding of what Jesus and the Prophet Daniel really meant when they mentioned the “abomination of desolation.” Let us, therefore, examine a number of these views:
1) Some Bible critics think Daniel’s abomination of desolation (Daniel 11:31 & 12:6-13) referred only to the first prophesied desecration of the Temple of God in Jerusalem by the Syrian King, Antiochus Epiphanes, in 167 BC (some say 168 BC).
2) Other students of biblical prophecy believe Christ’s prophecies in the Gospels only foretold a first century abomination of desolation by the ROMAN ARMY which would destroy Jerusalem and its beautiful Temple in 70 AD. Whereas, some critics think Jesus’ prediction of an abomination of desolation pointed to Jewish Zealots, who seized control of the Temple shortly before the Romans demolished Jerusalem and its Temple during the war between Judea and Rome (66-70 AD).
3) Still others believe Christ’s mention of a then-future “abomination of desolation” applied only to a fearful end-time destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. They conclude that a Temple is yet to be built by the Jews, preparatory to their offering sacrifices for 3 1/2 years, in a Temple to be erected shortly before Christ’s Return.
4) Another group believes that both Christ’s and Daniel’s prophecies were to have a dual fulfillment. Both Daniel’s “abomination” (Dan. 11:31-45 & 12:7-12) and Christ’s prophecies (Matt. 24:15) foretold two distinct desecrations: 1) the defilement and destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, 2) and a second even greater end-time “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION.” However, some who believe in this dual fulfillment of these prophesies believe the Jews will build a Temple a few years before the Second Coming of Christ. Others who believe in a two-fold-fulfillment of these prophesies do not think a Temple will be built before Christ’s Return, but believe the final “abomination of desolation” will occur when the “Beast” of Revelation 13 and 17 moves his headquarters to Jerusalem (Dan. 11:40-45), shortly before the coming of the Messiah to rule over all nations (Isa. 9:6-7).
What Did Christ Mean by “the Holy Place”?
Note carefully Matthew’s mention of a sign that Christ gave which would be the unmistakable signal—at the end of this age—for His people to “flee to the mountains:” “Therefore when you see the ‘ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the HOLY PLACE, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…. For then there will be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time; no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matt. 24:15, 21-22). Also note Mark’s account of Christ’s words: “But when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel…standing WHERE IT OUGHT NOT…” (Mark 13:14). And Luke’s account is as follows: “But when you see Jerusalem SURROUNDED BY ARMIES, then know that its desolation is near” (Luke 21:20).
Exactly where, according to Christ, would this “abomination of desolation” be located? He says it would stand “where it ought not” (Mark 13:14).
1) Some students of Bible prophecy think the “HOLY LAND” (Palestine) is meant (Zech. 2:12).
2) Others believe this prophecy refers to JERUSALEM (Dan. 9:24; Isa. 4:3). “O Jerusalem, the HOLY CITY…” (Isa. 52:1).
3) Whereas some Bible students think “the Holy Place” indicates the area of the TEMPLE MOUNT.
4) Others disagree, saying that, “the Holy Place” refers only to the TEMPLE itself (Psa. 65:4; 111:9). The outer part of the Temple was “the HOLY PLACE” (Ezek. 42:14), and the inner portion was called “the MOST HOLY PLACE” (44:13)—the “HOLIEST OF ALL” (Heb. 9:3, 8). Christ appears to have included both Jerusalem and its Temple Mount in His mention of “the HOLY PLACE.”
What Were Mr. Armstrong’s Views?
Although Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong had previously thought a Temple would be built by the Jews in Jerusalem before Christ’s Return, he later came to a different conclusion, which he then communicated to the membership of the WCG.
Mr. Armstrong’s EARLIER VIEW. What was Mr. Armstrong’s earlier view—a view which he later discarded—of the pivotal prophecies regarding whether or not the Jews will erect a Temple before Christ’s Second Coming? Incidentally, numerous Protestant churches, and some “Churches of God,” maintain a view similar to Mr. Armstrong’s previous view.
Here is Mr. Armstrong’s earlier view of a rebuilt Temple and of the Jews offering sacrifices—the view he held in mid-1967: In his June 1967 edition of The Plain Truth, he expressed his then-current view that a literal Temple would be built, and a pagan statue set up on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In that article, Mr. Armstrong quoted his own words, which he had spoken on May 1st, 1967—37 days before the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War of June 6-7, 1967. In that address to several hundred members of the faculty and students of Ambassador College (near London, England) he said: “‘I have just come from Jerusalem—the OLD CITY—in Jordan…. There will be a Jewish TEMPLE built in Jerusalem, with animal sacrifices once again being offered… probably, within about four-and-one-half years…. For a long time the Jewish people have had in mind the rebuilding of the Temple, though they keep it pretty secret….”’
After mentioning Christ’s prediction of an “abomination of desolation…in the HOLY PLACE’,” Mr. Armstrong then said, “This ‘Holy Place’ has to be in the TEMPLE. And in JERUSALEM! In the ‘Old City,’ now occupied by the Arabs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan…. There will very soon be a Temple in Jerusalem, with daily sacrifices once again being offered. But the ruler of the soon-coming resurrected ‘Holy Roman Empire,’ a political-military union of ten European nations—will stop the daily sacrifices and profane the Holy Place in the Temple….’”
Mr. Armstrong’s LATER VIEW. Let us carefully examine Mr. Armstrong’s later comments concerning the “abomination of desolation” which he published in The Good News, January, 1980—just six years before his death: “‘From the time the daily sacrifice shall be taken away….’ This does NOT imply a material TEMPLE to be built in our time in Jerusalem. It does seem to imply the Israelis may restore the daily… sacrifice—possibly at the Wailing Wall. The indication is the ARMIES of the ‘BEAST’ of Rev. 17, entering Jerusalem (Dan. 11:41; Zech. 14:2) will stop this daily sacrifice.
“‘And the ABOMINATION that maketh DESOLATE set up.’ What is this abomination? This refers to Daniel 11:31 and Matthew 24:15. In Daniel 11:31, the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes were at Jerusalem, and some commentators have interpreted it as Antiochus placing a statue of Jupiter [Jupiter Olympus] in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Not only does Matthew 24:15 also refer to this. But in a parallel N. T. [verse] Luke 21:20 speaks of the same thing as ‘Jerusalem compassed with armies.’ This is the correct meaning of this ‘ABOMINATION.’ It is the ARMIES—not a STATUE—that made Jerusalem desolate,” says Mr. Armstrong (ibid.).
Through the centuries many have unwisely set dates for Christ’s Second Coming and the end of mankind’s allotted 6000 years under Satan’s rule. Recently a minister of one of the “Churches of God” said that “the end of mankind’s first 6,000 years could possibly occur at—or very close to—the year 2017.” He apparently thinks a “statue” is to be set up on the Temple Mount, thereby constituting the “abomination of desolation.”
What Are the Facts!
As we noted earlier, after Mr. Armstrong had carefully studied the prophecies, he corrected his earlier view concerning whether or not the Jews would build a Temple in Jerusalem before Christ’s Second Coming, as well as his view in regard to whether a literal “statue” would be placed in such a Temple. Mr. Armstrong determined to correct the errors in his previous misunderstanding concerning certain prophetic views he had expounded in the June 1967 issue of The Plain Truth. He had the integrity and courage to correct his previous erroneous view by publishing his “new understanding” in the January 1980 edition of The Good News magazine in which he said the Bible “does NOT imply a…TEMPLE to be built in our time in Jerusalem…. Luke 21:20 [reveals that] this ‘ABOMINATION’ …is the ARMIES—not a STATUE—that made Jerusalem DESOLATE.”
Here are some facts to consider:
1) The first “abomination of desolation” (a statue of JUPITER OLYMPUS) was set up in the Temple at Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC.
2) But, according to the testimony of Josephus (a 1st century Jewish historian), the second “abomination of desolation,” which Jesus Christ predicted (Matt. 24:15), was not brought about by the Romans setting up a literal idol in the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, when Rome destroyed both Jerusalem and the Temple.
During that war with the Jews, the Roman general Titus, who was reputed to be “profligate and cruel,” at first commanded his troops not to destroy the Temple. Later, however, during the heat of battle, a Roman soldier threw a firebrand into the Temple, setting it on fire. Even then, according to Josephus, Titus strictly commanded his troops to put the fire out, and save the Temple; but, in spite of his orders, the Temple continued to burn until it was a heap of rubble and ashes!
There is absolutely no mention by Josephus of any Roman soldier setting up a “statue” in the Temple. How could they place an idol in the Temple, when Jewish freedom fighters were entrenched inside that strongly fortified Temple/fortress. But once the Temple was set on fire, it quickly became a burning inferno! Therefore, it is preposterous to assume that Roman troops would have rushed into a burning Temple to set up a Roman god (Jupiter Olympus) in the midst of a fiery, smoke-filled, doomed Temple—which Christ had prophesied would be completely demolished (Matt. 24:1-2; Luke 19:41-44)!
So, if an idol was not erected in the Temple in 70 AD, then it follows that there would not have to be an idol set up in Jerusalem (in a newly built Temple) in order to constitute the end-time “abomination of desolation.” It could be that Gentile ARMIES will constitute the final “abomination of desolation” before Christ’s Return!
What are the “Times of the Gentiles”?
Jesus described the awful events that would later accompany the bloody Jewish-Roman wars of 66-70 AD, as well as the subsequent end-time period of “Great Tribulation.” He said: “But when you shall see Jerusalem SURROUNDED with ARMIES, then know that its DESOLATION is near…. For these are the days of VENGEANCE, that all things which are written may be fulfilled…. For there will be GREAT DISTRESS in the land, and wrath upon this people [the people of Israel]. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations [which occurred in 70 AD]. And JERUSALEM will be TRAMPLED by the GENTILES until the TIMES OF THE GENTILES are fulfilled” (Luke 21: 20-24)!
What happened to the Jews in 70 AD was merely a portent of a much greater slaughter of the peoples of modern “Israel” (including the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic, English-speaking peoples) which will occur during a yet-future Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21), also called the time of “JACOB’S TROUBLE” (Jer. 30:7).
What, exactly, are the “Times of the Gentiles”? All sorts of dates have been conjectured concerning when the “Times of the Gentiles” were to begin and end. According to one commentary, “THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES [is] the time of rejection of Israel, and of Gentile predominance, both in the affairs of the world and in the Kingdom of God. The TIMES OF THE GENTILES will come to an end, when Israel is converted (Rom. 11:25)” (A Commentary on the Holy Bible, edited by J. R. Dummelow, p. 766). [Note. Few Bible scholars accept the vital “key” to understanding biblical prophecy: the identity of the LOST TEN TRIBES; therefore, when they read of “Israel” in the Bible, they always erroneously think it refers only to the “Jews”!]
The 1988 edition of Harper’s Bible Commentary says, “TIMES OF THE GENTILES…. When, then, will this be? [It will be] between the period of God’s punishment of Jerusalem by the Gentiles and by the appearance of the Son of Man whose COMING will signal the redemption of the faithful” (p. 1039).
Some Biblical expositors have postulated that the “TIMES OF THE GENTILES” began with the capture of Jerusalem in about 604 BC, and that after “seven times” (2,520 years), the Times of the Gentiles would end. Two thousand five hundred and twenty years after 604 BC brings us to the famous BALFOUR DECLARATION of 1917, which would prove to be a “mandate” for the Jews to establish a nation in Palestine, after nearly 2,000 long years of exile in 70 AD! In that year, the Jews lost their homeland to the Romans, “Judea” was dismantled, and its people were taken as captives into all nations.
In 1917 Britain didn’t realize she would be “caught between two momentous movements—ZIONISM, and ARAB NATIONALISM—that were jostling for…living space in the very same territory” (The Dome of the Rock, published by NEWSWEEK, p. 128). Few people today grasp the fact that the Israeli-Arab/Jew-Palestinian tug of war, is a struggle between the descendants of Israel and Esau, the father of many of the Arabs in Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, N. Arabia, etc., as well as being the ancestor of many Ishmaelites (children of Abraham’s son Ishmael). Other Arab peoples have descended from Abraham’s “concubines” and his second wife, Keturah (Gen. 25:5-6).
When will the “Times of the Gentiles” end? After Christ’s resurrection, His disciples asked Him: “Lord, will You at this time RESTORE THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL?” (Acts 1:7). Christ replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority!” (v. 8).
Even though many have claimed to know when the “Times of the Gentiles” began, and when they will end, nonetheless, the truth is that God has not yet revealed precisely when the Times of the Gentiles began and will end. The non-Israelite nations still exert great power and influence over the earth, and will continue to do so until Christ’s Second Coming, when He will assume rulership over all nations worldwide, and will grant His immortal saints “power over the nations” (Rev. 2:27). When will Jesus “come again” (John 14:2)? He will come at the seventh trump (Rev. 11:15), also called the “last trump” (2 Thes. 4:13-18). But “no man” knows the “day” of His Coming (Matt. 24:36)! No one yet knows when Christ will return to this earth, thereby ending the Times of the Gentiles, and ushering in the millennial Kingdom of God (Matt. 24:36).
Gentiles Prophesied to Rule over Jerusalem
After the destruction of the Jewish State of Judea in 70 AD, a long succession of Gentile nations ruled over the Holy Land (called “Palestina” by the Romans); and, true to Christ’s words, they did trample that city under their feet: “And JERUSALEM will be TRAMPLED by the GENTILES until the TIMES OF THE GENTILES are fulfilled” (Luke 21: 20-24). The following successive powers all ruled over Jerusalem:
1) ROMAN EMPIRE (63 BC-325 AD). Rome ruled Jerusalem from 63 BC until AD 325-395. In 63 BC, a Roman general, Pompey, conquered Jerusalem and insisted on going into the Temple at Jerusalem, to plunder its treasures. Emperor Caligula gave a command to place a statue in the Temple during his reign (37-41 AD), but his untimely assassination prevented this occurring, and he was succeeded by Vespasian in 69 AD. In 70 AD, the Roman army under Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian, conquered Jerusalem, utterly demolished the Temple and the City, leaving that city a totally desolated area, just as Christ had predicted (Luke 21:41-44)!
2) BYZANTINE KINGDOM (395-638 AD). This eastern branch, or “leg” of the Roman Empire (see Dan. 2:36-45) ruled over Jerusalem from the time of the division of the Roman Empire in 395 AD until 638 AD, when the Muslim Arabs conquered Palestine, including its ancient city of Jerusalem.
3) EARLY MUSLIM ARAB PERIOD (638-1099 AD). Muslim rule of Palestine and Jerusalem began with the “capture of Jerusalem by Caliph Omar Ibn el-Khattab [638 BC). Under Islamic domination Jerusalem, especially the former Temple Mount, would become an especially holy place, because of its association with Muhammed’s night journey to the ‘farther temple in Jerusalem”’ (JERUSALEM City of Peace, by R. M. Mackowski, S. J., 1980 ed., p. 179). In 691, “Abdul Malik Ibn-Marwan built the famous Dome of the Rock on the previous Temple site, now called the Haram es-Sharif, the ‘Noble Enclosure’” (ibid. p. 179). The “Al-Aqsa Mosque, most important mosque in Jerusalem, completed [c. 780], probably by Walid, son of Ibn-Marwan (ibid.).
4) LATIN KINGDOM OF JERUSALEM (1099-1187 AD). This was the period of the Crusades. There were eight Crusades—the eighth one being conducted in 1270. With the “Fall of Acre…to Sultan Qalawun, ending the Crusader adventures in the Holy Land. Jerusalem remained in Muslim possession…” (ibid. pp. 179-180).
5) OTTOMAN (Turkish) EMPIRE (1517-1917 AD). The Ottoman Empire ruled over Jerusalem for exactly 400 years—from 1517 until 1917! When British forces captured Palestine in 1917, the Holy Land was once again back under the administrative control of the modern descendants of “Israel,” that is, the British peoples who are descendants of Judah’s brother, Joseph. During World War I, “British Gen. E. H. Allenby’s entry of Jerusalem on foot after the Battle of Megiddo, thus ending the four hundred years of Ottoman Turkish rule over Palestine. The BALFOUR DECLARATION was issued on November 2 [1917]” (ibid., p. 181).
The “Holy Land”
Again under ISRAELITE Rule
6) BRITAIN’S LEAGUE OF NATIONS MANDATE OVER PALESTINE (1920-1948 AD). The League of Nations gave Britain a “Mandate” to rule Palestine (1920-1948). “In 1920, Palestine and Transjordania [were] placed under the British Council on April 25 by the supreme council meeting at San Remo; approved by the League of Nations on July 24, 1922. This was a period of much hostility between the Arab and Jewish citizens of Jerusalem and throughout Palestine” (ibid. p. 181). Although the “Brits” were brothers of the Jews, their rule was destined to be short-lived!
7) THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN (1948-1967 AD). “East Jerusalem became part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In 1948, Palestine (the Holy Land) was partitioned between the Jews and Arabs. “British Mandate over Palestine terminated on May 14, when Zionist Jews proclaimed independence and founded the STATE OF ISRAEL. War immediately broke out between Palestinians and Israelis, which ended in a 1949 armistice: EAST JERUSALEM became part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; WEST JERUSALEM remained under Israeli [civil] administration. Jerusalem was a divided city” (JERUSALEM City of Peace, p. 182).
The descendants of Joseph, Judah’s brother, gained control of Palestine in 1917, when British forces drove the Turks from Jerusalem and occupied the Holy Land!
8) ISRAELI-JEWISH PERIOD and REUNIFICATION OF JERUSALEM (1948 AD—). Britain’s League Mandate over Palestine terminated on May 14, 1948. ISRAEL gained control over JERUSALEM and the West Bank after her stunning victory over the combined Arab armies during the Six-Day War. The “Third Arab-Israeli war, the Six-Day War, June 5-11, [brought] JERUSALEM under Jewish administration after OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS [63 BC to 1967 AD]. On June 29, the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) declared the unification of the city” (ibid. p. 182).
But even though Jerusalem has been under Israeli administration since June 1967, the Old City, containing the Temple Mount (with its Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque) is under the effective “control” of the Muslims, and is still dominated by them. The Israelis have had to walk a “political tight rope” in order not to provoke the Palestinians, the Arab nations, and the entire Muslim World, who, worldwide, number about ONE AND ONE-FOURTH BILLION MUSLIMS!
“Ariel Sharon’s [the Israeli Prime Minister’s] controversial visit to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City on 28 September 2001 was the opening act of the Al Aqsa Intifada” and many believe his visit was “the cause of this Intifada” (“Why Did Sharon Go to the Temple Mount?”—recent article on the Internet). Muslims claim his visit to the Temple Mount sparked the ensuing bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians. His famous visit (or infamous, as Muslims consider it!) to the Temple Mount was looked upon by the Muslims as a provocation, and stirred up a “hornet’s nest” of hostility by the Palestinians, the Arabs, and the whole Muslim world. Even though Jerusalem has been under Israeli civil administration since June 1967, Muslims still consider the Old City of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount in particular, to be in their sphere of influence! The Israeli’s don’t want to provoke all-out war between themselves and more than ONE BILLION MUSLIMS! Christ’s words still ring true; “And Jerusalem shall be trampled by the Gentiles until the TIMES OF THE GENTILES are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).
Will the Jews Soon Build a New Temple?
Will the Jews build a new Temple in Jerusalem before Jesus Christ’s Second Coming to set up His Kingdom—as many predict? Many think so, while others believe Bible prophecy reveals that a Temple will not be erected on the Temple Mount before His Return.
God’s Word reveals that a Temple will be erected in Jerusalem in the not-too-distant future; but, according to the Bible, that Temple will be constructed after the arrival of the Messiah (Christ)—as is clearly explained in the Book of Ezekiel (chapters 40-48). Ezekiel’s House of the LORD, is called a “TEMPLE” (41:1). God will purify the “Levites” to serve in that MILLENNIAL TEMPLE (44:10-31). The Levites, then serving at God’s “SANCTUARY” (Temple), will officiate on the “Sabbaths”(44:14), and on God’s commanded annual festivals—the Passover, Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of the “7th month”—the Festival of Tabernacles (45:15-25). A river of crystal-clear, pure water will flow out from the House of God eastward into the Dead Sea, “healing” those waters (47:1-12), and the LORD will divide the Promised Land once again among the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Ezekiel also describes Israel’s millennial borders in the Holy Land (47:13-23). Chapter 48 explains the divinely assigned, inheritances of each of the Twelve Tribes in the Promised Land during the Millennium.
Furthermore, Israel’s ancient King David will then be King over Israel during that utopian age: “And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince [king, KJV] among them” (37:24; Hosea 3:5; Jer. 30:9). Notice David’s millennial prophecy in the 51st Psalm: “Do good in Your [God’s] good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole BURNT OFFERING; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar” (Psa. 51:18-19). And Jeremiah says, “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of The Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem…” (Jer. 3:17).
Could the Jews
Offer Sacrifices without a Temple?
The Prophet Malachi, who foretold Christ’s First Coming, says: “And the Lord…will suddenly come to His TEMPLE [27 AD], even the Messenger of the [NEW] COVENANT…. Behold, He is coming…. But who can endure the day of His [SECOND] COMING?” (Mal. 3:1-2). “…He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an OFFERING [i.e. a ‘BURNT OFFERING’ Ezek. 45:22-25] in righteousness. Then the OFFERING of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the LORD, as in former days” (vv. 3-4).
But is it possible that, in the near future, the Jews (i.e. the modern Israelis) could find themselves in great danger, and in their desperation begin offering ANIMAL SACRIFICES without having first erected a new Temple? It certainly is!
“Cyrus II the Great, Persian monarch who…captured Babylon in 539 B.C. [and] was quite benevolent towards the Jews…. His decree…was promulgated in 539 B.C., allowing the Jews to return to Judah and to rebuild the City of the Temple (2 Chr. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 6:3-5)” (JERUSALEM City of Peace, p. 174).
We are also told that after the Jews returned to their ancient Promised Land, Jeshua and the priests, as well as Zerubbabel, the governor, and other Jews “arose and built the ALTAR of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses…. Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries [Judea’s hostile neighbors], they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening burnt offerings…. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. But the foundation of the TEMPLE of the LORD had not yet been laid” (Ezra 3:2-6)!
This scripture reveals that it was lawful for the Jews to “offer burnt offerings” on an altar they had built before the “foundation of the TEMPLE” had been laid! So it is conceivable that the Jews, out of fear of their Muslim neighbors, might decide to hastily erect an altar in Jerusalem (perhaps, after first expelling the Muslims), then build an altar and begin offering “burnt offerings” on the Temple Mount—before Christ’s Return!
Watch Events in the Middle East!
Watch the Middle East! Both Daniel’s prophecies (Dan. 8:13-14; 12:11-12) and Christ’s predictions (Matt. 24:15-22) indicate that just before the “Great Tribulation” occurs, an appalling “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION” will “stand in the HOLY PLACE” in Jerusalem! The setting up of that “abomination” will be the signal for God’s people to flee into a “place of safety,” which God has prepared for His people (Rev. 12:13-17), just as the early Christians fled from Jerusalem to Pella, east of the Jordan River, circa 69 AD, when the Roman armies—which had surrounded Jerusalem—inexplicably withdrew! This allowed the Christians ample time to flee from Jerusalem, shortly before that city and its magnificent Temple were demolished.
In like manner, it is probable that—just as Mr. Armstrong said in his article (The Good News, January 1980)—neither a “TEMPLE” will be built, nor a “STATUE” set up in a new Temple—anytime before Jesus Christ’s Second Coming! If God’s people mistakenly look for the Jews to definitely build a TEMPLE, and if they expect the “Beast” to set up a “STATUE” in a NON-EXISTENT TEMPLE, then how could they know when to flee?
But if true Christians realize that—just as Mr. Armstrong said—it will be the ARMIES of the “Beast” that will “surround” Jerusalem—which will be a clear signal for God’s people to flee to a “place of safety” (Rev. 12:13-17), then they will not be deceived and caught off guard! God’s people must heed Christ’s command to “WATCH therefore, and PRAY always that [we] may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36)!
Let us keep our eyes focused on the Middle East—on Jerusalem in particular—since Bible prophecy reveals that during the time of the end, earth-shaking events will take place in the Holy Land, the geographical focal point of the whole earth (Zech 14:1-21! The Prophet Micah says, “Now it shall come to pass that in the latter days the… LORD’S HOUSE shall be established in the top of the mountains.… Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD….’ For out of ZION shall the law go forth, and the word of the LORD from JERUSALEM…. So the LORD shall reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever” (Micah 4:1-7)!
In the very near future, Jesus Christ will establish His Throne, the Throne of David, in the city of Jerusalem: “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it…to Jerusalem…. In those days the house of Judah [the Jews] shall walk with the house of Israel [this includes the English-speaking peoples of the world]” (Jer. 3:17).
Let us rejoice—knowing that God’s Kingdom is near! “‘And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh [all nations] shall come to worship before Me,’ says the LORD” (Isa 66:22; Micah 4:1-4)!
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IMPORTANT FOOTNOTES:
“Man of Sin…in the Temple of God”? Those who believe a “Temple [naos] of God” will be built in Jerusalem before Christ’s Return, often point to Revelation 11 and 2 Thessalonians 2 in support of their belief. But other students of Bible prophecy point out that the New Testament clearly refers to the true “CHURCH” as a “TEMPLE [naos],” according to Ephesians 2:20-22.
Those who believe a literal “Temple [naos]” is implied is Revelation 11:1-2, seem not to have noticed that God sometimes uses a “measuring rod” in a symbolic sense, to indicate God’s spiritual judgment (or measurement) of humans (Heb. 3:16; 2 Cor. 10:12-18). Some people believe Revelation 11:1-2 could indicate, symbolically, that God will “measure…those who worship” in “His spiritual Temple” (the “Church,” or “Body of Christ”), rather than implying a physical “Temple” will exist in Jerusalem during the 3 ½-year ministry of God’s two “prophets,” called His “TWO WITNESSES” (Rev. 11:3).
Apparently, those who believe the “TEMPLE [naos]” mentioned in 2 Thes. 2:3-4 is a literal “temple” have not considered that the “Man of Sin” (the “Son of Perdition”) who will sit in the “TEMPLE of God” could refer to some person who will claim to be a converted child of God, and like Simon Magus (Acts 8), will do his insidious, deceitful work inside the true Church of God, the very Body of Jesus Christ! If this “Man of Sin” refers to a great religious leader in Rome, as some have thought, then how can anyone who knows God’s Truth conclude that this “son of perdition” could ever “fall away” (or “apostatize”) from the Truth—because the context of this text clearly indicates that the Man of Sin will neither understand, nor obey, God’s Truth, as revealed in His Word!
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The Famous “Balfour Declaration” Jewish aspirations for a “home” in Palestine were encouraged when the Zionist organization in Basel [Switzerland] learned that Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, wrote the “Balfour Declaration,” in which he said: “I have much pleasure in conveying to you…the following declaration of sympathy with the Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet: ‘His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country. I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation. Yours sincerely, Arthur Balfour.’” After issuing the Balfour Declaration, Britain found herself “caught between two momentous movements—ZIONISM, and awakening ARAB NATIONALISM—that were jostling for…living space in the very same territory” (Dome of the Rock, by NEWSWEEK, p. 128).
Few people realize that the Israeli-Arab (or Jewish-Palestinian) struggle is between the descendants of Israel (i.e. Jacob) and his brother Esau (i.e. Edom), father of many of the ARABS in Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, etc., as well as the ancestor of many Ishmaelites (children of “Ishmael”), and other Arab peoples, who have descended from Abraham and his “concubines,” as well as his second wife, Keturah (Gen. 25:5-6).
